ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · last · club · stick · ruler · wake · lash · lie

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. last — final
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. last — to go on
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. club — for golf
  12. last — finally
  13. club — a group
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com